Kendall students are joining students from Aquinas College and Grand Valley State University to assist more than 40 LEED building owners and design teams in measuring the results of their green building strategies, pull their case studies together and organize tours of these buildings to highlight their features.

Working with the students is Assistant Professor Gayle DeBruyn, Furniture Design and Design Studies, who says, ‚??Students are involved in this project outside the classroom, and are doing the work on their own and not as a part of any class curriculum. They are gaining understanding of design beyond aesthetics and getting experience by meeting area design professionals, including Kendall alumni.‚?Ě

The diversity in the types of buildings that have been LEED-certified will be shown to the public in a tour of the buildings, which are divided into the following market segments: office, commercial, health care, education, homes, hospitality and non-profit. Tours will be held September 9 and 10.

To commemorate the tour and create a meaningful legacy, the West Michigan Chapter of the USGCB is publishing an oversize pictorial book of case studies of LEED-certified buildings in West Michigan. It will include an overview of sustainability in the West Michigan region and case studies of each of the segments on the tour.